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Putting Patients First

Your nervous system is amazingly complex. But when it is damaged the effect can be devastating. Even the smallest disturbances can have disabling consequences. Medical problems in this area are far more common than you might imagine. Both young and old receive hospital treatment for conditions affecting the brain. Neurofund does not finance the obscure backwaters of academic research The projects we fund are totally geared towards putting patients at the heart of everything we do. Whether it is in making breakthrough discoveries today or training the clinical researchers of tomorrow our goal is making people well again.

More rapid diagnosis of brain tumours in children can improve survival.

All research and development we finance is for the benefit of our patients. Our work with magnetic resonance spectroscopy helps people with brain tumours. Our work with interferons helps people with muliple sclerosis. We are continually seeking to ensure that the advances we fund reach the patients in need.

Real benefits for disabling conditions

A protein called aquaporin-4 is found in the brain in cells called astrocytes. Recent water channel protein (aquaporin) discoveries:

Aquaporin-4 worsens brain swelling in stroke and meningitis

Aquaporin-1 allows brain tumours to spread

We are trying to discover drugs that block aquaporin-4 to treat brain swelling and drugs that block aquaporin-1 to treat brain tumours.

Recent breakthroughs

Advances in treatment resulting from money supplied by Neurofund include: